Paul here on Chloe’s behalf- After 12 months of research & 6 months of planning Chloё has this morning announced that she will in late October (21-30 October ) this year attempt the Longest Solo, Continuous, Unassisted Marathon Swim in Open Water under MSF Rules – 128 K/80 Miles from the southern tip of the island of Eleuthera to the island of Nassau. Thankfully, she again has an amazing support crew to guide her on this journey, including highly skilled specialists from across the world. In addition, she is being supported by a local Bahamian team from The Island School. The school is based in Eleuthera and their team is an integral part of the logistics of the event.

As many people in the open water swim community are aware transparency, accountability & credibility are very important to both Chloё & I. Chloë will therefore be completing the swim swimming under official MSF marathon swimming rules meaning she cannot touch her support boat, and can wear only bathers, goggles and a swim cap. We have locked in the well respected open water race director & MSF supporter David Barra as the swim’s Chief observer ( http://www.openwaterpedia.com/~openh2o/index.php?title=Dave_Barra ) . We are currently in discussions with a representative of the Bahamas’s swim Federation to hopefully secure the services of an additional swim official. We will announce details of this closer to the swim date. The role of the swim observers will be to document the facts of a swim and verify the swim’s adherence to the declared rules. Documentation produced by these qualified observers will be the single most important source material for authenticating this swim.
More details to come closer to time but we both appreciate everyone’s ongoing support.

Thanks Evan. A link below to the swim tab on Chloe's web site with a copy of the press release & more details on the swim. Together with links back to the MSF site . Paulhttp://www.chloemccardel.com/bahamas-wr/

Thanks for everyone's kind words and support Here is the Biography of Brianne Yeates, who will be our second Observer under direction of David Barra (I will swim under MSF Rules):
"Brianne Yeates officially joined the Swift coaching staff in September 2014. Brianne has a degree in Exercise Science from the University of Tampa where she was a member of the Women’s Varsity Volleyball Team. She is presently working towards her ASCA Level 2 Swim Coach certification. Brianne runs the Fitness Group at St. Andrew’s school and assists with the Competitive I Group. She recently attended the FINA/BSF Open Water Swim Clinc where she received her Open Water Officials Certificate."
We will let you know the start Day, Time and Proposed Route when it is finalised Regards, Chloe

AUSTRALIAN'S WORLD RECORD SWIM ATTEMPT TO START WITHIN HOURS IN BAHAMAS.

AUSTRALIAN ultra-marathon swimmer 29 year old CHLOË McCARDEL is expected to commence her world record breaking 127km open water swim in the Bahamas within the next few hours. Taking more than 40 hours to complete, the swim will start from the southern tip of the island of Eleuthera and finish at Nassau. If successful, Chloë will have completed the longest open-water solo, continuous, unassisted marathon swim in history.

“The conditions are just about perfect,“ Chloë McCardel said, “but the weather could become unsettled in the coming week, so it’s a great time to make a start. This is not a race, so the good conditions over the next few days means that I can pace myself, maintain a good rhythm and know that there is clear water ahead of me for the next 127 kilometres or so.”

Chloë is scheduled to begin her swim from Lighthouse Beach on the southern tip of Eleuthera on Monday at 7.30am local time (Monday 10.30pm Sydney time) and will finish on Montague Beach at Nassau. Her progress will be tracked by GPS which can be followed via her website: www.chloemccardel.com.

Local residents are invited to join Chloë at the finish line, but Chloë must not be touched or physically assisted by anyone until Chloë’s team verify the official distance and finish location. Chloë will swim under internationally respected MSF marathon swimming rules meaning she cannot touch her support boat, and can wear only bathers, goggles and a swim cap.

Unlike the cold water swimming that Chloë experienced when undertaking any of her 7 crossings of the English Channel, the warmer waters of the Caribbean will diminish the risk of hypothermia, but Chloë will be exposed to heat stress, including dehydration, sharks, possible stinging jelly fish and sunburn.

Her previous attempt to swim from Cuba to the US in 2013 almost ended in tragedy, with Chloë being stung by poisonous, potentially deadly, jelly fish 11 hours into the swim. Suffering severe envenomation from multiple stings to her body and throat, Chloë had no choice but to end that attempt prematurely.

Previously, Chloë set a record, swimming 60 laps across Bondi Beach, a total distance of 48 kilometres, doing so in 11 hours 42 seconds without fins, wetsuit or shark cage on 24 April 2011. More recently, she set the record for the longest swim in a swim-spa, 16 hours, in Melbourne. She has also completed two non-stop double crossings of the English Channel. The public is welcome to join-in and follow her progress via updates on Chloë’s Twitter, Facebook and Blog pages.

Chloe has been amazingly consistent throughout this swim. I hope all of Nassau is aware of what is about to happen. It is too bad she will finish in the dark of night. I hope for the OWS community that there is at least one camera on the beach, but at the same time I like that this swim is kind of flying under the radar and just the OWS community seems aware of it.

Chloe has passed the Eastern tip of Nassau and is continuing to the planned landing site. This is going to happen and within an hour or so. Unbelievable! Good thing it is all being documented properly.

For a few years now, the question has been asked just what was the longest solo ocean swim on record. Whenever it came up in discussion, due to previous "muddying of the waters", I shrugged my shoulders and said I didn't know.

I can finally answer that question. The answer, pending @David_Barra's confirmation, will be Chloe McCardel.

I can't imagine staying awake for that long. REALLY looking forward to seeing the report and some pics. It must have been astounding at night. There's a whole lot of NOTHING out there btwn those islands... Congratulations. =D>

Looking for the next big thing.. ... @suzieswimcoach
www.suziedodsswimcoaching.com

Hi everyone, sorry for the radio silence... Third world Internet and data issues. I planned to finalize my report on the 9 hour boat ride back to Eleuthera, but things were too bumpy. It was the absolute right decision. The straight line route measures between 124k and 125k on this plot but the actual gps coordinates measure a bit more I think. I will post them tomorrow. As you can see, the straight line measurement crosses land at several points... So this doesn't accurately represent the swim. I need to get some sleep, but will post my report tomorrow in the afternoon. These screen catches show the start, finish and straight line measurement

@david_barra, did Chloe finish on someone's private beach in the middle if the night?!

Beaches in the Bahamas are public to the high water mark. After the landing, Chloe boarded the boat and she and the entire team motored a few k's to the originally planned landing spot where we met up with local press and spectators, and then on to the Atlantis Marina to dock overnight.

Just to all confirm that we received all the paperwork from @david_barra. And a fine body of literature it is too, completely in line with his personal motto, "anything worth doing is worth overdoing".